Why I Love the Church, part 2

NOTE: This the second part of a two part post. Scroll down to read the first two points contained in the previous post.

THURSDAY

Here we are again! This week we have been looking at the deep love that Christ has for the church. Author and Pastor John Stott commented, “If the church is central to God’s purpose as seen in both history and scripture, it must surely also be central to our lives. How can we take lightly what God takes so seriously? How dare we push to the circumference what God has placed at the center?” Challenging words, indeed. But we have already seen how much Christ loves the Church. Remember, Joh 6 teaches that the Church is that precious love gift given from God the Father to Christ His Son.

Let’s look again at our text, Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”

The application we are seeking to draw from this text is our response to the Church. Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? To answer that question, we have to first understand how Christ loves the Church. There are at least four aspects of Christ’s love for the Church we find in this text. Tuesday we saw how Christ’s love was sacrificial, He laid down His life for the Church. As well, our love for our Church should be sacrificial.

Let’s look at a second aspect of Christ’s love for the Church that is found in 26 and 27. Christ’s love for the Church is INTENTIONAL. Christ’s love for the Church had a specific intention. According to verse 26, the focus of Christ’s love was to sanctify and purify the Church. Verse 26 says that Christ’s goal in His love was to sanctify the Church. To sanctify is to set apart, to purify. In other words, Christ wants a pure Church, a pure Bride. Verse 27 indicates that Christ will ultimately present the Church to Himself as His pure Bride. That is a reasonable expectation. We all desire a pure Bride. The text also indicates the means by which Christ would purify and sanctify His Church. Verse 26 makes reference to the washing of water with the Word. Christ is referencing the Old Testament imagery of the laver of water outside the place of sacrifice in the Old Testament Tabernacle. The picture is one of ceremonial cleansing. The water Christ uses to cleanse and sanctify His Church is the Word of God.

Now the tough application. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, we will have full expectation that the Word of God will be central to the ministry of the Church. The Word will be boldly proclaimed! It will faithfully taught! It will dominate the conversation among the corridors of our churches. If we love the Church like Christ loves the Church, the Word of God will be the final rule of faith and practice, not men’s traditions, preferences or history.

Let me speak as a pastor for a moment. What is your expectation of your Pastor? You should jealously guard the time your pastor has to study the Word of God in order to present it to the Church with the aim of the churches sanctification and purity. If you love the Church like Christ loves the Church, you will let that be your Pastor’s primary and undiluted responsibility.

Incidentally, the ministry of the Word of God is the responsibility of each and every Christian, not just pastors. See Col 3.16 and following where we are called to let the Word of Christ richly us as we admonish one another. If you love the Church as Christ loves the Church, you will be deliberate about ministering the Word of God the people of your church. Perhaps, in a card, a word of encouragement, a word of challenge or guidance, or in some other way, formally or informally.

Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY and INENTIONALLY – do you?

FRIDAY

We have spent the week examining how Christ loves the Church and asking ourselves some penetrating questions. Do we really love the church like Christ loves the Church? I find that many of us often approach Church with a consumer mentality, instead of a passionate, relational mentality. What I mean is this… We are looking at we can get out of church much like we see what can get from a restaurant or a department store. Where will I get the best deal? Where will my needs be met best? Where will I find the best service? It doesn’t appear at all that Christ took this approach to the Church.

Let’s look a final time at our text for the week. Ephesians 5.25-29. 25”Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church”

Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, that is he willingly laid down His life for the Church. Christ loves the Church INTENTIONALLY. That is to say He had a specific intent in His love for the Church, namely her sanctification and purity. Today we want to look at a third aspect of Christ’s love for the Church. Christ’s love the Church was UNCONDITIONAL. Though this thought is implied in our Eph 5 text, it is best expressed is Romans 5. Listen to the profound thoughts in these familiar verses… 6For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . 10For while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,”

Do you catch the thrust of those verses. Christ initiated the relationship with the Church apart from any overture or effort on the part of the Church. Christ was not seeking to get anything from the Church, because frankly, we have nothing to give. We are called dead in Christ, helpless, sinners, enemies. And yet Christ loved us, initiating a passionate love without reciprocation. In fact, Christ still passionately loves the Church and we often turn our back on Him and disappoint Him, yet he continues to love us.

Do we love the Church like Christ loves the Church? Do you love the Church because Christ loves the Church, or do you love the Church because you are (like a consumer) seeking what you can get from your church? I trust all of our churches give generously to spiritual aid and development of our people, but is that why you love the Church? Or do you, as Christ, love the Church unconditionally! These are tough thoughts, but we want to have the heart of Christ in regards to the Church. Christ loves the Church SACRIFICIALLY, INTENTIONALLY and UNCONDITIONALLY.

Let me wrap up with a little story. Dec 7, 1941, “a day that will live in infamy.” Japanese planes began dropping bombs on Pearl Harbor. By Monday morning, Dec 8, there were long lines at every armed services recruiting center in the country, people signing up without regards to future plans or any other obligations. They wanted to be part of what was happening in our country. Now, jump ahead 25 years… America finds herself in the middle of another conflict; however, this time we couldn’t get any volunteers. We had to draft people to serve by compulsion, and even then, many ran away. What made the difference? In 1941 people believed in the cause. In the 60’s and 70’s, people didn’t know or understand the cause enough to passionate jump on board.

Here is our challenge… we know the cause of the Church! Do you believe in it? Are you ready to commit to it and love the Church like Christ loves the Church? I hope you are!